Story

Crafting With Passion

Lost Ark Distilling Company is a small artisan distillery founded on one principle—passion. When founders Brad Blackwell and Andy Debenham started a simple conversation about finding something greater and more meaningful in life, it quickly developed into a realistic dream that had to be pursued. They began working together, growing their business from the seeds of their passion.

Brad & Andy both shared a love for the hand-crafted. They knew immediately distilled spirits were the perfect product, so they founded Lost Ark Distilling, a company deriving its name from the story of the first Maryland settlers back in the 17th century. As the story goes, these settlers landed without much to work with and no idea what the new land would offer them. Their creativity, hard work, and dedication to creating something led to not only their survival but also their ability to thrive. Brad & Andy are committed to bringing that spirit of hard work and creativity into every unique spirit they produce.

Today, Lost Ark embodies the spirit of its home state, Maryland. Every bottle is hand made in Howard County, and nearly every ingredient is hand-picked from across the state. Each line of ultra-premium spirits is inspired from a specific piece of Maryland history, and that history can be experienced within every pour. Never settling for anything less than what they imagined in their first conversation, Brad & Andy own their craft every day to ensure Lost Ark represents the spirit of Maryland’s past, present and future.

The Founders

ANDY, CO-FOUNDER & DISTILLER

Andy is the rock of Lost Ark Distilling Company. His calm and collective manner creates the perfect balance in the partnership and he brings many years of brewing experience to the distillery. Andy is known for his precise and calculated personality, which is likely the result of 20+ years as an engineer in the IT industry. The pursuit of perfection is always forefront for Andy and this is no different in his quest for the perfect whiskey mash bill.

BRAD, CO-FOUNDER & DISTILLER

Brad makes up the opposite half of the Lost Ark Distilling team. He comes across as quiet and shy but carries a hard charging and passionate drive for success. He prides himself in being creative and relentless in any pursuit. Brad also has many years of brewing experience and a background in IT. After serving on Active Duty in the Army for many years, he brings the military "attention to detail" motto to the team. All of these qualities fuel the fire in the pursuit of perfection in the art of distillation.